Mr. Alan
García, President of Republic of Peru,
celebrates the election of Machu Picchu
as 7 New Wonder of the World -
Government Palace

Show informationThe New7Wonders of the World
were announced tonight in a
star-studded ceremony featuring a
fanfare of musical performances and
a parade of world dignitaries. All
came together for one night to
highlight the world's cultural gems
and shared heritage.

The New7Wonders of the World, in
random order, are: The Great Wall of
China, Petra, Chichén Itzá , the
Statue of Christ Redeemer, the
Colosseum, Machu Picchu and the Taj
Mahal. More than 100 million votes
were cast worldwide.

Actresses Hilary Swank and Bipasha
Basu and actor Ben Kingsley hosted
the ceremonies, which transformed
the Benfica Stadium in Lisbon,
Portugal and contrasted the more
than 2,000-year-old Ancient Wonders,
presented to the audience from a
giant book, with the New7Wonders
candidate finalists framed by a
giant laptop computer.

Bernard Weber, who launched the
New7Wonders Foundation to unite the
world by honoring our common
heritage, announced the
organization's next project: The
New7Wonders of Nature.

Among highlights of the evening were
performances by Jennifer Lopez and
Jose Carreras, as well as Dulce
Pontes, Chaka Khan, Alessandro
Safina and Joaquín Cortés. Special
guests were Neil Armstrong, Bertrand
Piccard, Frederico Mayor and
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's
homegrown football star.

Zurich / Switzerland, February 20,
2007— Continuing its worldwide call
to action, the New 7 Wonders World
Tour will visit Machu Picchu
in the
Peruvian Andes today as the 19th of
the 21 finalists in the campaign to
choose the New 7 Wonders of the
World. The moving ceremony will
feature several Inca pututus, a horn
made out of a shell or animal horn,
echoing through the ancient city and
the surrounding mountain peaks.
Local children dressed in bright,
colorful traditional costumes will
join New 7 Wonders Founder and
President Bernard Weber as he hands
the official certificate of
candidacy to local and national
officials.

On July 7,
2007 in Lisbon, Portugal, the
winning monuments will be announced
during the gala Official Declaration
of the New 7 Wonders of the World,
broadcast live across the planet.
The event will highlight the rich
cultures represented by the
finalists.

The World Tour
launched at the Acropolis on Sept.
5, 2006 in a tribute to the ancient
Greek origin of the Wonders of the
World concept. Since the campaign’s
launch, more than 25 million votes
have been cast—testimony to the
powerful appeal of this first-ever
global vote.

The ancient
city of Machu Picchu is a symbol of
community and dedication.Bernard Weber
notes that, “Machu Picchu is a
testament to the incredible vision
and engineering prowess of the
Incas. Even though I expected to be
impressed, when I saw the first
terraces and houses sprawling
majestically on the side of this
incredibly high, steep mountain (and
I thought we had steep mountains in
Switzerland!), I was speechless. The
whole New7Wonders team was moved by
the sight. The well-preserved
houses, courtyards and, of course,
the only Intihuatana still standing,
show how sophisticated the Inca
society was, with their knowledge of
astronomy, agriculture and
engineering.”

The sound of several Inca pututus,
instruments made from shell or
animal horn, echoed through the
ancient ruins of Machu Picchu and
the surrounding Peruvian Andes as
the New7Wonders team made the 19th
of 21 stops on the World Tour.

Local children, dressed in colorful
traditional costumes, were on hand
as Mercedes Araoz, Peru’s Minister
of Foreign Trade and Tourism, and
Machu Picchu Pueblo Mayor Edgar
Miranda accepted the official
certificate of candidacy from
New7Wonders Founder and President
Bernard Weber.

The New7Wonders team marveled at the
site’s impressive mix of
well-preserved houses, courtyards
and terraces sprawled majestically
on the side of the incredibly steep
mountain. The building techniques of
the Incas, combined with their
knowledge of astronomy, agriculture
and engineering, are a tribute to
the sophistication of the society.